Florida Gators land three more commitments to bring 2013 class to 24 pledges

By By Chris Hays | Orlando Sentinel

Rod Johnson, Delray Beach American Heritage photo

CHRIS HAYS / ORLANDO SENTINEL

Offensive lineman Rod Johnson of Delray Beach American Heritage made his second pledge to Florida on Sunday after decommitting in August. He joins two other commitments from the weekend for the Gators.

Offensive lineman Rod Johnson of Delray Beach American Heritage made his second pledge to Florida on Sunday after decommitting in August. He joins two other commitments from the weekend for the Gators. (CHRIS HAYS / ORLANDO SENTINEL)

Calls to all three players by the Sentinel went unanswered Sunday, but coaches for both Brown and Rolins confirmed their commitments, and Johnson's re-up with his previous pledge was reported by numerous media outlets.

Georgia Military assistant coach Joe Windon confirmed Brown's commitment Sunday morning. Brown comes to UF after two years at GMA

Brown told Rivals.com Inside the Gators analyst Blake Alderman that he had told the Gators coaches long ago of his impending commitment. "They've known for the longest time. I just wanted to keep it a secret."

Counting Johnson's re-commit, Brown is the fourth offensive lineman pledged to the current recruiting class. The other two are 6-3, 285-pound guard Cameron Dillard of Canton, Mich., and 6-4, 285-pound tackle Octavius Jackson of Moultrie (Ga.) Colquitt County.

Brown had originally committed to Georgia in 2011 out of Westover School in Albany, Ga., but ended up at GMA.

His commitment raises the question of whether UF has conceded in the race for the services of Lake City Columbia tackle Laremy Tunsil, who is also being recruited by Georgia and Alabama. However, as movable as the pieces are along the offensive line, it's unlikely to change the recruiting strategy for UF. If Tunsil says he wants to be a Gator, that door is likely to swing wide open, and players like Brown and/or Johnson could very well be shifted to guard or wherever is best suited for the personnel.

Rolin's Briar Woods High head coach Charlie Pierce texted Sunday night that his senior linebacker is a "very good player," and that the team won the Virginia Group AA, Division 4 state title Saturday night for the third consecutive season.

Rolins, who had previously committed to South Carolina, announced his change of plans via Twitter early Sunday morning. "I have officially committed to THE University of #Florida. I will be wearing #9 as I continue to chase my dreams at #Florida #GatorNation."

Johnson previously committed to the Gators this past spring, but reopened his recruiting process at mid-summer. He was also considering Florida State and West Virginia.

He told ESPN's Derek Tyson, "When I talked to coach [Tim] Davis on my in-home visit, I really had a good time talking with him, just talking to me about the program and getting early playing time. He talked to me about graduating and getting my degree. He kind of left that on my shoulders and left it on my parents' shoulders as well."

The Florida Gators secured the future of their running attack early on in the recruiting process, landing commitments from two of the state’s top 2013 running back backs: Belle Glade Glades Day’s Kelvin Taylor and Winter Haven’s Adam Lane.

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